This morning my “hiking buddy”, for lack of a better term, had transportation issues this morning and the other person that was going to come dropped out last night. So this was rather an impromptu beach outing. Call it saving my energy for Saturday when I will be out all day hiking a permit only trail.

Kailua Beach Park is far from secret and right on the radar for tourists. So I don’t visit often because I like to stay away from touristy places. But weekdays are not so bad. The first thing I want to not is that Kailua Beach park is on park separated by a canal so it has 2 parking lots. This morning my friend and I were at opposite parking lots.

After sorting that out we headed down to the beach at the smaller of the two parking lots which coming from the highway would be before the second, and larger one. Thankfully parking wasn’t an issue and we sat on the beach and chatted. Almost no one was there when we arrived.

This beach park has 2 major draws that seem to put it above the crowd in some people’s book. Powder fine sand and crystal clear water, little do they know that’s almost the entire east side, is the first. The second is recreational equipment rentals. There are 3 or 4 companies that run out of a trailer in the parking lot. Kite Surfing was the first thing we observed.

For those who don’t know kite surfing is exactly what it sounds like. You take a giant Kite with a rigging similar to that used for waterskiing and hold onto it and then put your feet into harnesses on a board for the water. To a New England native like myself the board strongly resembles a snowboard and the kite strongly resembles a parachute. It starts by putting on a harness around your pelvis a lot like a rope climbing harness and then starting with the kite in the air. We then observed the instructor showing people how to control the kite. As far as I could see the kite has 3 main lines. The outer 2 swivel 180 degrees around the center line thereby allowing you to steer. Basically this all looks easy, but I’m sure it’s much more difficult than it looks. Then just for fun these people then get in the water, kite in the air, and try to get their feet in the board and ride it. Ok now this is sounding difficult. It sure as hell looks it. It also looks like fun.

The next thing that we started to see were sailboards. These I’m a bit more familiar with having seen them on lakes. They about the size of a long board and slightly wider and they have their own small sails. The sail is on a hinge and you connect it to the board on shore. Then you proceed out into the ocean and stand on the board, followed by pulling up yours sail from the water and off you go. The thing about these that I find puzzling is how do you turn around and come back? With the kite board you can flip it 180 degrees and that should take you in the opposite direction, no mystery there. With a sail boat you tack and change directions. But with a sail boat you are seated and you simply duck and the boom passes overhead to catch the wind the other way. On a sailboard you’re standing on the board and there is nowhere to go. So how do you do a 180. Can you imagine being out there wondering how you will get back?

The original goal of this outing was to snorkel, which is another activity that is popular at Kailua Beach. However, today the water was too murky. It’s crystal clear water just gorgeous, but there was sand being stirred up and there was no visibility. So instead we just floated and swam in the ocean.

Today’s outing was rather short because I had kids to pick up on the other side of the island. But who doesn’t like a little time at the beach? About the time we left was about the time swarms of Japanese tourists started showing up. So it was pretty good timing.

The material in this blog is from my own experience on the trail and is intended as a guide to help you see the wonderful beauty that Hawaii has to offer. But always remember that trail conditions can and do vary greatly and can change very quickly. Many of these trails are muddy even on the dryest day and that mud coating a rock or wood surface is very slick. Be prepared for contingencies such as rain, wind or loss of daylight. Also make sure you bring plenty of water since staying hydrated is important. Remember you are the best judge of your own ability and turning back when things get tricky is always an option. See the safety section for more tips on trail safety and preparedness. Don't be afraid to get dirty on the way and have fun!